Lady Gaga (art)raves through Houston

Lady Gaga’s credo, motto, schtick — whatever you want to call it — has always been her attempt to marry the mainstream with the underground. Art meets pop, to reference her most recent album. She’s still trying to bridge the gap. But the best parts of her Wednesday night set at Toyota Center, happened when she wasn’t trying so hard.

Yes, there were trippy set pieces and odd costumes and banter about believing in yourself and becoming part of a movement (as always). But even in her attempts to revel in “authenticity,” Gaga’s ArtRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball sometimes echoed eye-popping productions from other pop stars. And really, there’s nothing wrong with that. Just stop trying to sell it as revelatory.

There were bright colors, glowsticks and bare-chested dancers. The band was housed in a billowy white structure. Confetti blasted through the air. And she regularly roared at the crowd to “Jump!” But the show sometimes felt disjointed, with little in the way of real transition between sequences, particularly in the later moments.

Gaga emerged in a sequined gold bodysuit with a blue sphere jutting out of her bosom, strutting through tunes “ARTPOP,” “G.U.Y.” and Donatella with command and confidence. She strummed a white guitar in a sequined bikini during “Venus.” It was a strong sequence from her “Artpop” album, mostly because she sold it as dazzling pop production.

Bigger cheers erupted when she launched into early hits “Just Dance,” “Poker Face and “Telephone.” That she relegated those much stronger songs to a brief medley was a letdown. Only “Paparazzi” got the full treatment in a polka-dot octopus outfit, which gave way to recent single “Do What U Want” and Gaga perched atop a giant silver hand. (R. Kelly’s parts were wisely removed.)

She introduced “Born This Way,” recast as a soulful piano ballad, with a rail against people who said her image and music were “too gay” and “too artsy.” It was, despite so much earlier pomp and production, one of the evening’s strongest moments.

She raged on, whipping through “Judas” and “Aura,” lounging on a couch while reading a fan letter, gyrating through “Sexxx Dreams,” preening through an oddly muted “Alejandro.” Her energy seemed to lag during older hits, even as the crowd perked up.

The final stretch of songs — “Bad Romance,” Applause,” “Swine” — were campy, messy blasts of neon and banjee style. She called several fans onstage, including an eerily spot-on Michael Jackson lookalike, to rave alongside her before closing with “Gypsy.” She was joined by a 5-year-old fan at the piano, dressed in a similar sparkling gown, for the powerhouse ballad. It was a little odd, a little sweet and all presentation — much like the entirety of the show.

Lady Starlight — Gaga BFF and DJ – amped up the crowd before the main attractive with a barrage of pulsing house grooves. That she was dressed like a third grade teacher (knee-length skirt, demure sweater) made it all the more interesting, even if the beat eventually got repetitive.

South Korean girl group Crayon Pop opened the ArtRAVE with a spirited set of K-Pop anthems. It went on twice as long as it probably should have — but it was hard to resist their fizzy charm (and hard hat/tennis skirt combo).